Tag: child poverty

Child Poverty: A step in the right direction

FRASER OF ALLANDER INSTITUTE ANALYSIS

This week, the Scottish Government released headline child poverty statistics for 2023-24. The big headline is: we’ve missed the interim child poverty targets. But what does that mean? And what comes next (write Fraser of Allander Institute’s HANNAH RANDOLPH, EMMA CONGREVE and CHIRSTY McFADYEN)?

What do the new statistics say?

First, our usual note on the data: poverty rates are usually presented as a three-year average. The pandemic interrupted data collection, so any period including 2020-21 is actually a two-year average omitting that year – although the latest data point is back to a true three-year average. The interim and final child poverty targets set out in legislation are single-year rates, though, so we needed to hit 18% relative poverty in 2023-24 to meet the interim targets.

Without further ado, the new child poverty statistics are compared to the corresponding interim targets in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Child poverty rates and interim targets

Three-year rateSingle-year rateInterim target
by 2023/24
2020-232021-242022/232023/24
Relative poverty2423262218
Absolute poverty2120231714
Low income and material deprivation——1298
Persistent poverty——17238

Source: Scottish Government
Notes: The questions on material deprivation changed in 2023/24, so single-year rates are not directly comparable and a three-year rate for 2021-24 has not been calculated. Rates of persistent poverty are calculated for 2018-22 and 2019-23; someone is counted as in persistent poverty in 2019-23 if they were in poverty for three or more of the four years in that period.

In sum, three of the four main measures of child poverty have fallen since last year – but not by enough to meet any of the interim targets.

How close were we to meeting the targets?

The measure of combined low income and material deprivation came closest to meeting the interim target, 9% vs. an 8% target. The relative and absolute poverty measures came in 4 and 3 percentage points above the targets, respectively (see Chart 1). It’s fair to note that the confidence intervals around these measures are relatively wide due to data limitations.

Chart 1: Relative and absolute poverty after housing costs, 2015/16 – 2023/24

Two trend lines showing relatively stable relative and absolute child poverty rates in Scotland form 2015/16 to 2023/24.

Source: Scottish Government
Notes: Three-year rates for periods including 2020/21 are two-year averages omitting 2020/21. The single-year rate for 2020/21 is not shown.

It’s promising that these three measures also fell from last year. The fourth measure, persistent poverty, is based on a different survey and can be relatively volatile.

Nevertheless, it’s concerning that persistent poverty, representing the proportion of children who live in relative poverty for three or more of the last four years, has risen from 17% to 23%. The rate is much higher than the interim target of 8%. However, there may be data issues driving at least part of the change – there’s potentially a lot to unpack there.

Have policies like the Scottish Child Payment made a difference?

The new data for 2023/24 represent the first year when all children under 16 in households receiving qualifying benefits got £25 per week for the full year.

As a reminder:

  • The Scottish Child Payment (SCP) was introduced for children under 6 in eligible households at £10 per week in February 2021;
  • The amount increased to £20 per week, per child in November 2021;
  • A system of bridging payments was introduced in 2022 for children under 16; and
  • Eligibility was extended to children under 16 and the payment was increased to £25 per week, per child in November 2022.

There has been some discussion of whether or not the Family Resources Survey (the survey Scotland’s child poverty statistics are based on) was accurately capturing receipt of SCP. There have been updates to the data methodology, and we’re confident that SCP is accurately represented in this year’s data. Read more on this issue here.

The new statistics today show a fall in relative and absolute poverty since last year. But it’s difficult to say what would have happened to child poverty rates in the absence of SCP; the most straightforward way to tell is to compare trends in child poverty across Scotland and the rest of the UK, where SCP is not available (see Chart 2).

Chart 2: Relative child poverty trends, Scotland vs. UK

Two trend lines showing relative child poverty in Scotland and the UK, where Scotland's rate is below that of the UK.

Source: Scottish Government and DWP
Notes: All rates are single-year statistics. The single-year rates for 2020/21 are not shown.

With this year’s data, we see an indication that the trend in child poverty rates since SCP was introduced may have started to diverge – but only time will tell.

The Scottish Government has also released new modelling this morning updating the estimated impact of different policies on child poverty in future years. Previous modelling from last year estimated the impact of measures like the Scottish Child Payment through this year; today’s modelling extends this period to 2029/30.

The new modelling estimates that the SCP will reduce relative child poverty by 4 percentage points in 2025/26 compared to what it would have been without it. This is slightly larger than, but similar to, JRF’s estimate of 3 percentage points.

The modelling also includes estimates of the impact of different welfare reforms at the UK level. The UK Government is due to come out with their plan to tackle child poverty in the coming months, and it will be worth watching to see what they build into their plans and how they will affect Scotland.

We expect to put a blog post out next week talking through recent modelling of potential policies, both with devolved and reserved powers. Stay tuned – and in the meantime, check out our report on a few policy packages that could meet the 2030/31 targets.

What happens next?

It’s not set out in the legislation what happens if the interim targets are not met.

Regardless, we now expect attentions to turn to the 2030/31 targets. The targets are:

  • Less than 10% of children in relative poverty;
  • Less than 5% of children in absolute poverty;
  • Less than 5% of children in combined low income and material deprivation; and
  • Less than 5% of children in persistent poverty.

No big policy changes have gone into effect in the last couple of years – so we don’t expect to see a big step change in next year’s statistics (for 2024/25) either.

In December, the Scottish Government announced that they would mitigate the UK-level two-child limit on Universal Credit from 2026/27 (or sooner if possible).

Recent estimates show that mitigation could reduce child poverty by between one and two percentage points.

That leaves a long way to go to the 2030 targets. The Scottish Government has a number of levers available to them, but may be constrained by a tough fiscal environment. They will also have to respond to choices made by the UK Government, such as the recent cuts to disability benefits.

We’ll be looking out for the final child poverty delivery plan, which will be published next spring and will hopefully lay out the Government’s plans to reach the targets. There will also be a lot to dig into as next year’s Holyrood elections approach and different parties set out their plans to meet the targets in their manifestos.

To read more about potential policy packages to meet the 2030 targets, check out our latest modelling report here.

Scottish policies “are working to shift the dial on child poverty”

  • Official statistics show child poverty falling
  • UK Government decisions ‘hold back further progress’

New statistics show that child poverty in Scotland has fallen, in contrast to the rest of the UK.

Annual statistics published yesterday show that compared with the previous year’s statistics, relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26% to 22% in Scotland while absolute child poverty fell from 23% to 17%. UK Poverty statistics published today show levels of relative child poverty at 31% and absolute child poverty at 26%.

Modelling published today suggests that UK Government policies are “holding back” Scotland’s progress. It estimates the UK Government could reduce relative child poverty by an additional 100,000 children in 2025-26 if it heeded Scottish Government calls to end the two child limit, replicate the Scottish Child Payment in Universal Credit, remove the benefit cap and introduce an essentials guarantee.

This model does not take into account the UK Government’s own impact assessment of its welfare cuts announced on Wednesday , which states that they will leave an additional 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, in poverty.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and we are committed to meeting the 2030 targets unanimously agreed by the Scottish Parliament.

“Our policies are having to work harder than ever to make a difference, against a backdrop of a continuing cost of living crisis, rising energy costs and UK Government decision making. However, we know these policies are working.

“Statistics published today show that, although we have not met the interim child poverty targets, the proportion of children living in relative poverty has reduced and year-on-year rates are now lower than they have been since 2014-15, while the proportion in absolute poverty has also fallen with the annual figure the lowest in 30 years.

“While JRF predict child poverty will rise in other parts of the UK by 2029, they highlight that policies such as our Scottish Child Payment, and our commitment to mitigate the two-child limit, ‘are behind Scotland bucking the trend’.

“But decisions taken by the UK Government are holding us back, and yesterday’s Spring statement will only make things worse. The DWP’s own figures show that proposed welfare cuts will drive 50,000 more children into poverty, which must call into question their commitment to tackling child poverty.

“I have already written to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall to seek reassurance about the purpose and direction of the UK Government’s Child Poverty Taskforce. The Taskforce’s credibility has been drastically undermined by the policies announced by the UKG in the past few days.”

Responding to yesterday’s official government statistics on child poverty John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said: “These latest statistics show that Holyrood polices, especially the Scottish child payment, are working to shift the dial for children in Scotland in the face of poverty rising to record highs across the rest of the UK. 

“It is obviously disappointing that progress falls short of the interim targets, but the statistics show that when government invests to support families then child poverty will fall.”

The latest figures show that in the single year 2023/24 22% of children were living in poverty against a target rate of less than 18%, but down from 26% in the previous year. The three-year average rate of child poverty between 2021 and 2024 was 23%, down from 24%. 

Across the UK child poverty rose to a record high with 4.5 million (31%) now living in poverty. New analysis from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows child poverty will rise even higher under the current UK government –  to 4.8m by the end of this parliament (2029/30) –  unless it takes urgent action including scrapping the two-child limit in its forthcoming child poverty strategy and stepping back from benefit cuts.

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, passed in 2017 with the unanimous support of all the political parties, requires the Scottish government to ensure less than 10% of children are living in poverty by 2030/31.

Analysis published earlier this week by independent economists at the Fraser of Allander Institute concluded that “meeting the targets is still feasible but will require sizeable additional investment beyond what is currently proposed” and that “increases to the SCP (Scottish child payment) are the most effective tool available.”

The testimony of struggling parents backs up the picture painted by the new government data.

CPAG-Poverty-173-changing-realitiesDownload

Lisa, a participant in Changing Realities, a participatory project documenting life on a low income, said: “The Scottish child payment has enabled me and my son to participate in more social and educational activities which normally we would have struggled to afford.

“It alleviates some of the financial pressure and gives me and my son more breathing space to enjoy life. The Scottish child payment has been a ‘game changer’ for me.”

Mr Dickie continued: “The message from the statistics, from the independent experts and from parents themselves is clear. The Scottish child payment is working to reduce poverty but a step change is needed in investment to meet child poverty targets.

“At the same time action is needed to boost earnings from work and reduce the housing and childcare costs that parents face.”

Commenting on the latest child poverty statistics, Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children First said: “Failing to meet the interim target for reducing child poverty should be a wake-up call to everyone in Scotland. The slight decrease in child poverty doesn’t change the fact we are in the grip of a national childhood emergency.

“Behind these numbers are more than 200,000 children living in grinding poverty without the essentials who are going to bed hungry each night. Poverty has a devastating impact on children’s mental health, wellbeing, education and prospects that can last into adulthood.  

“The First Minister says tackling child poverty is his number one priority. We urge him and his government to act now to invest in early help and support for families and to increase the Scottish Child Payment which is the most effective way to alleviate poverty. Children can’t wait.”

The latest child poverty statistics from the Scottish Government can be viewed here: Child poverty summary

Last year Children First worked with 1000 families struggling to make ends meet to provide financial wellbeing support.

If you are a parent or carer who is worried about money, call the Children First support line on 08000 28 22 33 or visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline to start a web chat.

Aberlour Chief Executive SallyAnn Kelly OBE said: “Aberlour acknowledges the slight reduction in child poverty however is disappointed that the figures remain significantly above the interim target, highlighting the need for stronger efforts to meet the 2030/31 goal. Too many children in Scotland still grow up in poverty.

“Scottish Government actions, particularly the Scottish Child Payment, are beginning to make a difference. However, with looming financial uncertainty due to UK-level benefit changes, more action is needed over the next five years to sustain progress.

“Despite challenges, the target remains achievable if the Scottish Government prioritises investment, leverages all policy tools, and collaborates with the UK Government where necessary. Increased investment in social security, particularly a significant rise in the Scottish Child Payment, is essential.

“However, social security alone won’t lift families out of poverty long-term. It must be combined with action on housing, employment, childcare, and addressing the public debt crisis. Immediate support is needed for those in greatest need, alongside long-term strategies to build community capacity and create sustainable routes out of poverty.

“Scotland must move from managing poverty to preventing it. The First Minister must uphold his commitment to ending child poverty as a top priority. We cannot fail Scotland’s children.”

Save the Children Scotland’s Fiona King said: “Today’s child poverty stats show that positive policy choices, including the Scottish Child Payment are making a difference, but not nearly enough is being done to give all children a decent start in life.“

Campaigners say it’s not too late to end the injustice of child poverty

Responding to today’s figures on poverty and inequality in Scotland, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “People in Scotland want a compassionate country beyond the injustice of child poverty. Today’s figures finally confirm what we all feared – we are not on course to build that better future.

“In Scotland we have clear, legal targets to reduce child poverty that the Scottish Parliament approved unanimously. But with the interim targets now missed, it is vital that our politicians do more to turn their words and commitments into the fundamental action we need.

“Child poverty is shameful. It highlights that our social security system and economy are failing to deliver what we all need to build a better life and a better future. By allowing such levels of poverty to persist we are denying children their rights and undermining the social foundation that they need to thrive, develop their talents, and achieve their potential.

“But it’s not too late. There are concrete, practical things that the Scottish Government can do now to meet our legal child poverty targets in 2031. They can increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week. They can invest in flexible, accessible childcare. They can expand free school meals. They can strengthen the public services that we all rely on. And they can work to build a well-being economy with good jobs, secure hours, and real Living Wages.

“We have choices to make in our country, about how we unlock our country’s wealth to investment in the common future. We must invest in policies like the Scottish Child Payment to invest in our children’s future. Together, we can build a Scotland beyond the injustice of needless poverty.”

Cost of living support

More than £2 million will fund wrap-around support to households

The Scottish Government will invest nearly £2.2 million to enable the Wise Group to provide wrap-around support to individuals and families on low incomes in six local authority areas.

The investment, from the Tackling Child Poverty Fund, was announced by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville during a Scottish Parliament debate on supporting households with cost-of-living pressures and rising energy bills.

It will allow the Wise Group to continue with work which has so far helped 3,200 households, enabling people to find work, increase their skills and improve their financial situation.

The wrap-around nature of the support means mentors from the Wise Group are also able to support people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Ms Somerville said: “We know people continue to face pressures with the cost of living and the recent announcement that energy bills are set to rise again this month will only add to those pressures.

“The Wise Group work we are funding, offers support not just with an immediate crisis, but aims to help people make long-term improvements to their financial stability, helping them to access help with issues such as childcare, training and finding sustainable work.

“Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s overriding mission. This year’s budget commits more than £3 billion to a range of actions to tackle poverty and the cost of living. However our efforts are undermined by the social security policies of the UK Government, not least the two-child cap which prevents parents from claiming universal credit for more than two children.

“That is why we will develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026. The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that scrapping the cap in Scotland could lift 15,000 children out of poverty.”

Sean Duffy, Wise Group Chief Executive said: “This investment is a vital opportunity to rethink how we deliver services, strengthen local partnerships, and take a preventative, ‘invest to save’ approach that drives lasting change in tackling poverty.”

Over 326,000 children currently supported by Scottish Child Payment

£1 BILLION paid to help tackle child poverty

New figures, show that as of 31 December 2024, the families of 326,080 children under 16 years of age were receiving vital support from Scottish Child Payment.  

Over £1 billion has now been paid to parents and carers since the payment was introduced in February 2021.  

Scottish Child Payment is unique to Scotland and provides financial support for families, helping with the costs of caring for a child. It is a weekly payment, currently worth £26.70, for every eligible child that a parent or carer looks after who’s under 16 years of age.    

While visiting Craigour Park Primary school in Edinburgh, to talk to parents who receive Scottish Child Payment, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:  “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and a national mission.   

“Our investment in Scottish Child Payment has seen over £1 billion worth of these payments issued by 31 December 2024; that is money directly in the pockets of those families who need it most. 

“Modelling published in February 2024 also estimates that the Scottish Child Payment could keep 60,000 children out of relative poverty this year. 

“Scottish Child Payment is actively improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Scotland – helping their families to access essentials and experiences they might otherwise miss out on because they live on a low income. 

“In the coming year it is forecast we’ll invest a further £471 million, ensuring that this support continues to reach even more families and children who need it.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1895156126464749904

Head Teacher of Craigour Park Primary, Sally Ketchin, said: “We welcome payments like Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grants.

“We can see the real difference this money makes to families in our community.” 

CASE STUDY   

Ashley Forbes lives in Glenrothes with her three children.  She said:  “The two-child cap came in for Tax Credits when I was pregnant with my third child. That meant I would be losing £60 a week when the baby was born so, obviously, that was quite a scary moment. It was huge.   

“I wasn’t working and my partner at the time was only working part-time so money wasn’t great. It felt like £60 was so much to lose, you know, when you have a baby with milk and all that stuff to buy.      

“And then when Scottish Child Payment came in, it was a huge relief. I have three kids and they grow so fast. It’s new shoes, new coats and new clothes all the time.   

“My eldest two do swimming as well which is a really important skill that you need in life. We wouldn’t be able to do this stuff without Scottish Child Payment.     

“I think Scottish Child Payment is great. We couldn’t do without it.”   

Child Poverty: Turning the Tide

NEW REPORT BY RESOLUTION FOUNDATION

The Government is due to publish a Child Poverty Strategy later this year, with a promise to bring about “an enduring reduction in child poverty” (write ALEX CLEGG and ADAM CORLETT of The Resolution Foundation).

In this report we focus on the Government’s headline metric of relative child poverty and look at what might be needed to achieve this welcome goal in the face of significant headwinds.

We consider the role of improvements in parental employment and housing affordability, but also of reforms to social security, and we show what is needed to make sure that any gains in this Parliament are not lost in future.

KEY FINDINGS

  • On the Government’s headline measure of relative poverty after housing costs, 4.3 million children (three-in-ten) were living in relative poverty across the UK in 2022-23. On an international measure accounting for both housing and energy costs, the UK’s relative child poverty rate is higher than in any EU or EFTA nation bar Greece.
  • On present policies and our baseline economic forecasts, we project that UK child poverty will rise over this Parliament from an estimated 31 per cent in 2024-25 to reach 33 per cent by 2029-30, its highest rate since 1998-99, and the highest number of children on record, at 4.6 million. This is partly because the outlook includes £3 billion of scheduled welfare cuts, in the form of the ongoing roll out of the two-child limit and family element abolition, and real cuts each year in the value of Local Housing Allowances and the benefit cap.
  • It is right to be ambitious about employment rates and housing supply. Concerted action on these could lower child poverty by 130,000 compared to our base scenario, and would provide fiscal room for new spending (as would higher-than-expected growth more generally). But without changes to social security, poverty would still rise over the Parliament.
  • The child poverty priority should be to abolish the two-child limit, and the benefit cap alongside it, which would take an estimated 500,000 children out of poverty in 2029-30. This would cost £4.5 billion in 2029-30 but is the most efficient anti-poverty measure the Government could take. Turning the two-child limit into a three-child limit (and assuming the benefit cap is still abolished) would have about two-thirds of the impact at two-thirds of the cost.
  • Free School Meal entitlement should be extended to cover all families on Universal Credit, which would take around 100,000 children out of poverty, with money found from within existing departmental spending plans. For further poverty reductions, Local Housing Allowance should be repegged to local rents – rather than remain frozen indefinitely – and Universal Credit’s basic adequacy tackled, for example by reversing the abolition of the ‘family element’. This would reduce child poverty by a further 140,000. These policies could mean that, by 2029-30, child poverty could be around 900,000 lower than in our default projection, at 3.7 million: getting below 4 million for the first time since 2015 outside of 2020-21. And the child poverty rate could be cut to its lowest in four decades, at around 27 per cent, in the highest-ambition scenarios.
  • The ambitious package would have a price tag of around £8.5 billion, falling to £5.5 billion if the extension of free school meals is funded within existing departmental budgets and the Government can succeed in raising employment and building more homes.
  • In the longer-term, family benefit uprating needs to move to tracking average earnings – alongside the State Pension – or else relative child poverty will always tend to rise as social security entitlements fall behind average earnings.

Read Resolution Foundation’s TURNING THE TIDE report:

Turning.the_.tide_Download

Scottish government consults on ending the Universal Credit two-child cap

Views sought on flagship policy

The Scottish Government is launching a consultation on its plans to end the two-child cap on benefits.

Eradicating child poverty is the government’s top priority and ministers have committed to ending the limit by April 2026, or sooner if possible. The Child Poverty Action Group estimate that scrapping the two-child cap in Scotland could lift 15,000 children out of poverty. 

The consultation is seeking views from the public and stakeholders about the most effective ways to put systems in place to mitigate the effects of the two-child cap. It asks for views on questions such as whether Social Security Scotland should administer top-up payments.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1892967518219751851

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The UK Government has failed to scrap the two child cap despite it being a key driver of child poverty. In the face of such inaction the Scottish Government is determined to end the impact in Scotland. If we can safely get the systems up and running earlier than April 2026, then we will make our first payments earlier – helping to lift thousands more children out of poverty.

“We have launched a consultation calling for people to respond as we look to put the necessary systems in place to achieve our goal. We have made clear to the UK Government what is needed for us to end the impact of this policy and I would urge people and organisations across Scotland to contribute to make their views known.

“The draft 2025-26 budget continues to invest more than £3 billion to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living for households – and I would hope that would command widespread support across Parliament.

“There is irrefutable evidence that the two child limit is increasing poverty and hardship across the UK. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to end the two-child cap, and we have been just one of many voices saying the same thing. Until they do so, the Scottish Government will do everything in its power to mitigate the policy, which helps create child poverty.”

The consultation closes on April 18th 2025.

Shelter Scotland: More Children Living in Temporary Accommodation Than Ever Before

A record breaking (and heart-breaking – Ed.) 10,360 children are trapped in often unsuitable temporary accommodation, latest figures from the Scottish Government has revealed.

The number of children in temporary homes has risen for the 10th year* as figures detail the stark reality for thousands of families across Scotland. The statistics cover from 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 – during which time the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency.

It is a national scandal that 7,545 households have been stripped of their rights in only six months, as councils failed to offer a place to those requiring temporary accommodation, also known as gatekeeping.

While Shelter Scotland welcomes the Scottish Government reversing the cuts for housing, it must be clear that funding has returned to the same level as it was in 2022.

The latest figures show:

– 10,360 children living in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2024, an increase of 250 children compared to the previous six months. That’s an increase of 149% since 2014.
– 7,545 instances of failure to offer a place to a household requiring temporary accommodation, also known as
gatekeeping, between 1 April to 30 September 2024. This an increase of 277% in just 6 months or 3.8 x higher. In the 12-month period to September 2024 gatekeeping was at 13,500 recorded cases, a 541% increase compared to the year prior.
– 4,085 breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order between 1 April and 30 September 2024 – a 11% increase compared to the previous six months.
– 16,634 households in temporary accommodation as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 16,330
– 32,272 live homeless cases as of 30 September 2024 an increase from 31,794.

Shelter Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government’s renewed housing budget to focus on reducing the number of children trapped in temporary accommodation, and to ensure local services are fully funded to ensure lifeline housing rights are upheld.

This comes at a time when wider cuts in the public services may push more people closer to the brink of homelessness.

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “This is the harrowing reality of decades of under-investment in social housing. No child should have to experience homelessness, yet the numbers keep rising to a record-breaking amount and are now staying in temporary accommodation for longer.

“These figures show the direct consequence of the Scottish Government and local authorities failing to prioritise housing and the desperate need for more social homes.

“Everyone deserves the right to be in a safe and secure permanent home where children can thrive. We know children living in unsuitable temporary accommodation can have their mental and physical health detrimentally impacted.

“Children are paying the highest price for the politicians’ failures and the devastating reality of the housing emergency in Scotland. If the Scottish Government is serious about ending child poverty with their new budget, social homes need to be urgently delivered.

“The Scottish Government reversed the brutal cuts to housing, but it needs to acknowledge it brings us to the same amount of funding that we had in 2022. Since then, the number of people living in temporary homes has risen, people are trapped in the system for longer, the number of people rough sleeping has increased dramatically, and the cost of living has skyrocketed.

“The reversal alone will not be enough to end homelessness and there desperately needs to be a long-term plan from politicians, targeting money to the areas where it is most needed.

She added: “The way people are experiencing homelessness is changing with more people becoming homeless and faster than councils can close cases. The Scottish Government need to invest in the areas where applications are the highest. Services to support families at risk of homelessness also desperately need funding from local authorities.

“Children in Scotland forced to live in temporary homes don’t need excuses, they need action if the Scottish Government want to end child poverty in their next budget.”

See full report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-in-scotland-update-to-30-september-2024/pages/main-findings-april-to-september-2024/

*Excluding pandemic periods of lockdown 2020-mid 2021

Homelessness+in+Scotland+update+to+30+September+2024Download

Fairer funding for charities

More than £60 million for pilot projects focusing on essential services and eradicating child poverty

A new Fairer Funding pilot to deliver on the Scottish Government’s top priority of eradicating child poverty will provide additional multi-year funding in the form of 45 grants to organisations across Scotland.

The funding, subject to budget approval, will support projects in areas including health, education, poverty and culture and have a total value of £61.7 million in 2025-26 and £63.2 million in 2026- 27.

Speaking on her visit today to the Gathering, the largest third sector event in the UK, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I know many charities, faced with rising costs and falling donations, need more security and stability to enable them to plan and develop.

“Child poverty, in particular, requires longer-term interventions to help achieve the solutions we want to see. For that, the third sector needs financial stability and certainty. That’s why I have prioritised delivering on our commitment to provide more multi-year funding where we can to support the vital work of the third sector in Scotland, as part of our fairer funding approach.

“The pilot is the first step in mainstreaming multi-year funding agreements more widely across the third sector. It will give organisations the ability to plan for the future and make the most of their resources.

“The pilot’s focus on grants connected to tackling child poverty and the delivery of frontline services to our communities will maximise the impact of longer term funding and support the delivery of our number one priority, eradicating child poverty.”  

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “The voluntary sector has a crucial role to play in delivering essential services across Scotland that people and communities rely on.

Multi-year funding models are vital, providing security to voluntary organisations and, crucially, allowing them to get on and deliver for people and communities.

 “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to piloting multi-year funding for a range of voluntary organisations across Scotland – a first step, we hope, towards rolling out Fair Funding principles to voluntary sector funding.”

Organisations to receive multi-year funding for 2025/26 and 2026/27

Social Justice

Scottish Refugee Council

Scottish Empty Homes Partnership

Homeless Network Scotland

Housing Options Scotland

Poverty Alliance

CentreStage – Social Innovation Partnership

COVEY – Social Innovation Partnership

Flexibility Works – Social Innovation Partnership

Heavy Sound – Social Innovation Partnership

MsMissMrs – Social Innovation Partnership

Street Soccer – Social Innovation Partnership

WorkingRite – Social Innovation Partnership

MCR Pathways

Economy and Gaelic

Scottish Mountain Rescue

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

Youth Music Initiative

Sistema Scotland

Health and Social Care

Cruse Scotland Bereavement Helpline

Penumbra Self-harm support pilots

BASICS Funding PHEC BASICS Scotland

The Listening Service Samaritans

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund Management

Autism Advice Line Scottish Autism

Young Scot Carer support funding

Active Play Development Programme Inspiring Scotland

Active Play Development Programme Actify

Community Food Networks Edinburgh Community Food

Community Food Networks Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership

Community Food Networks Community Food Initiative North East

Community Food Networks Glasgow Community Food Network

Drugs Policy: Core Funding Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Drugs Policy: Family Recovery Initiative Fund Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder FASD Hub Scotland Service 

Finance and Local Government

Planning Aid Scotland

Education and Skills

Dyslexia Scotland

Children’s Advocacy for Children’s Hearings

Who Cares Scotland

Inspiring Scotland

Children in Scotland Enquire National Advice and Information Service on Additional Support for Learning

Scottish Book Trust Bookbug

Access to Childcare Fund

Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators

Justice and Home Affairs

Victim Centred Approach Fund

Apex Scotland

Medics Against Violence

These pilots are in addition to the multi-year funding announced last week by Creative Scotland, which has been funded as part of a record £34 million uplift for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget.

Child Poverty Act focused minds, but greater collaboration needed, finds Holyrood Committee

A law passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2017, has focused minds on work to reduce child poverty, but more collaboration is needed for the Scottish Government to continue to make progress, according to a report from Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act was passed by the Parliament in 2017 and aimed to tackle, report on and measure child poverty. It also established targets relating to the eradication of child poverty by 2030. The Scottish Government will publish statistics that will outline whether it has met its interim targets in March.

The Committee wanted to understand the impact of the Act, and in particular the difference that has been made by having a framework for reducing child poverty set in law.

In its report on post-legislative scrutiny of the Act, the Committee has found that, while the Act has instilled an appetite and motivation to tackle child poverty, something most clearly demonstrated in the establishment of the Scottish Child Payment, it has not led to sustained progress towards reaching the Scottish Government’s 2030 targets.

The report outlines a series of recommendations that could help the Government make further progress, including encouraging a culture of collaborative working across portfolios and engaging with local authorities to understand whether they can reach the targets and what further resources they might need.

The Committee also calls on the Government to share details on how its own research into child poverty in rural areas and in the islands has impacted on the Scottish Government’s approach.

Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “Our scrutiny has shown that the Child Poverty Act has helped ensure the Scottish Government keeps its aim of eradicating child poverty focused in people’s minds.

“However, it looks as though more progress can be made towards achieving the targets that were set out in the act, so we are calling for change on a bigger scale to happen.

“We’re keen to hear more from the Scottish Government about how it intends to do this so that it can meet its targets and make a real difference to the daily life of children and families in Scotland.”

Holyrood-child-poverty-reportDownload

UK Poverty Report 2025: RoSPA highlights increased accident risk for lowest-income Britons

  • Out of four nations only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029 – JRF
  • Deprivation increases both the likelihood and severity of accidents – RoSPA
  • A joined-up approach is needed to address uneven level of accidents among deprived Britons

Following the release of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is urging the UK government to adopt comprehensive strategies to tackle child poverty and preventable accidents.

Released this week, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2025 Report reveals that without significant investment in social security, the UK government will not ease child poverty by the end of this Parliament. It also highlights that child poverty rates are significantly higher in England (30 per cent) and Wales (29 per cent) compared to Scotland (24 per cent) and Northern Ireland (23 per cent).

It emphasises the critical role of specific welfare policies, such as the Scottish Child Payment, in reducing poverty, with Scotland projected to see a decrease in child poverty rates by 2029. The report calls for targeted policy interventions to address these disparities and improve living standards across the UK.

The release follows the recent publication of RoSPA’s ‘Safer Lives, Stronger Nation’ campaign which showed that accidental deaths in the UK have reached an all-time high, with rates increasing by 42% over the last decade.

Accidents are now the second biggest killer of people under 40. In England alone, accident-related hospital admissions for serious injuries have risen by 48% in the past twenty years, hospitalising over 700,000 people annually.

The economic cost of preventable accidents is staggering, amounting to £12 billion every year due to lost working days and NHS medical care.

Dr. James Broun, Research Manager at RoSPA and author of ‘Safer Lives, Stronger Nation’, said: “Our major review of UK accident data has already uncovered the full scale and true cost of accidents for the very first time.

“We found that deprivation significantly increases both the likelihood and severity of accidents, compounding existing inequalities and creating a vicious cycle of disadvantage.

“This is why we are alarmed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s findings and support their call for Government action to reduce child poverty, while we reiterate our own call for a national accident prevention strategy to help further reduce economic and health inequalities.”

UK Child Poverty Report 2025

The JRF’s latest UK Poverty shows that under current projections, only Scotland will see a reduction in child poverty rates by 2029, largely due to Scotland-specific welfare policies.

Key findings include:

  • Child poverty rates in Scotland are projected to fall, while rates in England and Wales remain high.
  • If the rest of the UK matched Scotland’s reduction in child poverty, 800,000 fewer children would be in poverty.
  • Specific welfare policies, such as the Scottish Child Payment, are crucial in reducing child poverty.

 Deprivation and accident risk

RoSPA notes that deprivation is often linked to an increased risk of accidents. Factors such as unsafe housing, proximity to busy roads, and hazardous work conditions contribute to this risk. Moreover, economic deprivation is associated with health inequalities, which can exacerbate the severity of injuries from accidents.

Key points include:

  • Deprivation increases both the likelihood and severity of accidents.
  • Health inequalities linked to economic deprivation can compound injury severity.
  • Accidents can further entrench material inequalities by disrupting education and employment, creating a vicious cycle of disadvantage.

A Call for a National Accident Prevention Strategy

RoSPA calls for a National Accident Prevention Strategy to address these issues comprehensively. Such a strategy would focus on improving housing safety, reducing road traffic risks, and ensuring safer working conditions, particularly for those in hazardous jobs.

The Need for Government Action

Both JRF and RoSPA stress the urgency of government intervention. A credible child poverty strategy must include policies that rebuild the social security system, while a national accident prevention strategy is essential to reduce preventable injuries and deaths.

By linking these strategies, the UK can create a more holistic approach to improving public health and social welfare, ensuring that both poverty and preventable accidents are addressed through comprehensive, targeted policies.